MTA Bridges and Tunnel officer struck on Verrazano

An MTA Bridges and Tunnels officer was struck and critically injured on Sunday, October 20 right before 8 a.m.as he re-opened the lower level roadway to traffic.

Officer Thomas Choi, 61, a 10-year veteran, had parked his wrecker truck near the entrance to the Brooklyn-bound lower level of the bridge, near the facility administration building, when he was hit by a Nissan Maxima with New Jersey plates at around 7:45 a.m.

The car hit Choi, sending him into the windshield before being thrown about 10 feet to the ground. He suffered severe pelvic and head injuries and was unconscious when taken to Staten Island North University Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

The driver was a 26-year-old female from Bayonne, New Jersey, who remained at the scene. The driver and the four passengers inside the car were not injured.

“The entire Bridges and Tunnels family is saddened by this tragic event,” said Bridges and Tunnels President Jim Ferrara. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Choi, his family and all of his colleagues who work with him daily.”

Choi, who lives on Staten Island, joined MTA Bridges and Tunnels in January, 2003. The lower bridge is closed at midnight on weekends and reopens around 8 a.m. Choi was in the process of removing barrels blocking the roadway when he was struck. Electronic message signs and red lights showing the roadway was closed were in place at the time of the accident.

The cause of the accident in under investigation by the NYPD Collision Investigation Squad.